massive gas bill

a_class_girl

Hi, im in need of some advice.
I live in a moderate sized 2 bed flat with my small son. I have gas central heating and hot water only. I have just received a £900 gas bill for the past 8/9 months. I'm almost hit the floor, this cant be right can it. I must admit i have had the central heating on these last 3 months but not at all during the summer. Even still this surely cannot account for this much fuel consumption can it???
To add i had a meter fitted in february.
My gas bill for the previous year was massively less than this.
Is it possible to incure a gas bill for this much??

a_class_girl

just to add, this is based on an actual reading that i gave them just the other day and as the meter was installed newly in february, im assuming wouldnt have had a reading on it?
my reading yesterday at midnight was 02824, 659 and now its 02829,945, has it really gone up 4 units in less than 24hours??
i may have this wrong, bit inexperienced in all this!!

Cardew

Yes it is quite possible to incur a bill for £900. Espesially if an old(or latest) meter reading was estimated.

The new meter fitted in February will be a metric meter. It is probable that your old meter was Imperial. A gas unit on that old meter was 2.83 times larger in terms of kWh.

e.g 100 gas units on your old meter was approx 3,150kWh, while 100 gas units on the new meter are approx 1,120kWh

It is not unknown for the gas company to not realise and continue to bill you as if you still had the old Imperial meter.

Check your latest bills and post here the amount of gas units and the kWhs you have beeen charged.

The more details you post the better.

Cardew

Just seen your second post.

If your new meter was at zero when installed, you will have used over 31,000kWh in 9 months!!((2829 x 11.2) which is a massive amount.

4.3 units in 24 hours is not particularly high - just under 50kWh.

a_class_girl

right so ive had a rummage and found the card for when the meter was installed and the reading was 000000 which quashes my hopes there was a reading on the meter when it was installed.
found a gas bill comprising of actual readings 9th july 2007-->10th oct 2007 81 units used £38.49.
is there anyway i can tell from looking at my bills to determine if theyve not using the correct conversions since having the new meter installed??

a_class_girl

Cardew wrote: »

Just seen your second post.

If your new meter was at zero when installed, you will have used over 31,000kWh in 9 months!!((2829 x 11.2) which is a massive amount.

4.3 units in 24 hours is not particularly high - just under 50kWh.

So is it possible for me to use that much gas just with central heating and hot water??

Cardew

81 units is approx 900kWh.

What were the start and end meter readings?

That covers 92 days so only 10kWh a day. which is quite low.

Something is clearly wrong if you can use only 900kWh in 3 months and yet over 30,000 in the other 6 months, especially when you will not have used much heating in May/June.

My gut feeling is that the meter could not have been at 00000 - did you check?

The important reading will be the first one after the meter was fitted.

More details please

a_class_girl

sorry the card i have reading 00000 on installation was for the electricity meter
this is the first reading since it was installed (february), i have no idea what it was when it was installed, cannot find the card. any ideas where i can now find this out? i didnt check. young and dumb i guess

a_class_girl

found it! got a letter on 12th feb 2008 and on the letter said the reading was 793. no date on the reading or how those figures were obtained?
so 793 12th feb 2008 --> 02824,659 13th nov 2008

Cardew

But you said the readings on 9th July and 10th Oct were actual readings? was that a mistake and they are estimated? (They will have an 'E' against the readings.)

It is important to know the meter reading given on the bill for 9th July and if this was estimated.

Well you have a glimmer of hope! Especially if your previous bills with the old meter were not that high.

With a bill for 31,000kWh in nine months they are billing you for over 110kWh a day and that includes the summer. You are only using under 50kWh now in mid-Nov.

To build up a picture we need as many details as you have.

There is usually a label tied to the gas meter after installation with the date and reading(hand written).

Cardew

Posts keep crossing.

so it would appear that you have used 2031 units(approx 23000kWh) still very high.

Which company/tariff do you have?

Can you give a breakdown of charges to make it come to £900.